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The Mississippi College football team closed out the 2015 season with a 37-29 loss to Delta State University on Saturday night in Robinson-Hale Stadium.
In the GSC-TV Game of the Week, featured on ESPN3, it was the Choctaws (2-8, 0-7 GSC) that got on the board first when freshman Colt Freeman blocked a punt and returned it seven yards for a touchdown in the opening quarter.
Junior Josh Dixon extended the MC lead to 13-0 in the opening period when he took a screen pass from junior Sharone Wright and took it 50 yards for a score.
The Statesmen (6-5, 2-5 GSC) scored two quick touchdowns to take a 14-13 lead, but seniorTyler Poe nailed a career-long 46-yard field goal to give MC a 16-14 lead with 7:38 to go in the half.
The Choctaw defense forced a punt and the Choctaws used a flea flicker as Wright found Freeman for a 33-yard touchdown pass to push the lead out to 23-14 in the final minutes.
The Statesmen got a long kick return and were able to make a 37-yard field goal, sending the game into halftime with the score 23-17.
To open the second half, Delta State completed a long touchdown pass to take a 24-23 lead. After a blocked punt, DSU went 28 yards on nine plays but missed a 26-yard field goal.
The Choctaws were forced to punt on the next possession, but the Statesmen muffed the kick and Freeman jumped on the loose ball. Poe nailed a 26-yard field goal to give MC a 26-24 lead with 3:00 remaining in the third quarter.
DSU took the lead on the next possession and pushed the lead out to 37-26 to open the fourth quarter on a 10-yard rushing touchdown from Justin McArthur.
The Choctaws moved down the field in the final minutes, and Poe made a 25-yard field goal to cut the game to one score, but the onside kick was recovered by the Statesmen and the game ended on a few kneel-downs by DSU.
Senior Chris Ingram closed out his career with 13 carries for 51 yards, while junior Marcel Newson caught five passes for 65 yards.
Freshman R.J. Arnold led MC with 11 tackles, while freshman Leon Cunningham had 10 stops. Sophomore Trey Harris led the Choctaws with 2.0 tackles for loss.
Tyler Sullivan led the Statesmen offense with 374 passing yards and three touchdowns with Collin Floyd catching eight passes for a team-high 106 yards.
The Choctaws are on pace to be full members of the Gulf South Conference in the 2016 season and will be eligible to win the Gulf South Conference championship.
